diff --git a/crates/ide-terminal/src/lib.rs b/crates/ide-terminal/src/lib.rs
index f08b3a069..56c6aaf28 100644
--- a/crates/ide-terminal/src/lib.rs
+++ b/crates/ide-terminal/src/lib.rs
@@ -60,6 +60,9 @@ struct Session {
     writer: Mutex<Box<dyn Write + Send>>,
     killer: Mutex<Box<dyn ChildKiller + Send + Sync>>,
     exited: Arc<AtomicBool>,
+    started: Instant,
+    /// The first input was logged (startup diagnostics, see `spawn`).
+    input_logged: AtomicBool,
 }
 
 type Sessions = Arc<Mutex<HashMap<TerminalId, Arc<Session>>>>;
@@ -136,25 +139,34 @@ impl TerminalManager {
             writer: Mutex::new(writer),
             killer: Mutex::new(child.clone_killer()),
             exited: exited.clone(),
+            started: Instant::now(),
+            input_logged: AtomicBool::new(false),
         });
         self.sessions.lock().insert(id, session);
 
         let (tx, rx) = mpsc::channel::<Msg>();
         let spawned = spawn_reader(id, reader, tx.clone())
             .and_then(|_| spawn_waiter(id, child, tx))
-            .and_then(|_| spawn_pump(id, rx, on_output, exited, self.sessions.clone(), sink));
+            .and_then(|_| spawn_pump(id, rx, on_output, exited, self.sessions.clone(), sink, Instant::now()));
         if let Err(e) = spawned {
             if let Some(s) = self.sessions.lock().remove(&id) {
                 let _ = s.killer.lock().kill();
             }
             return Err(IdeError::internal(format!("failed to start terminal threads: {e}")));
         }
-        tracing::debug!(%id, shell, pid = ?info.pid, "terminal spawned");
+        // Info level, with the first output and input below: a session that starts but never shows a
+        // prompt can then be told apart in a user's log (no output, or no reply to the shell's query).
+        tracing::info!(%id, shell, pid = ?info.pid, cols = size.cols, rows = size.rows, "terminal spawned");
         Ok(info)
     }
 
     pub fn write(&self, id: TerminalId, data: &str) -> IdeResult<()> {
         let session = self.session(id)?;
+        if !session.input_logged.swap(true, Ordering::Relaxed) {
+            let cursor_report = data.starts_with("\x1b[") && data.ends_with('R');
+            let ms = session.started.elapsed().as_millis();
+            tracing::info!(%id, ms, bytes = data.len(), cursor_report, "terminal first input");
+        }
         let mut w = session.writer.lock();
         w.write_all(data.as_bytes())?;
         w.flush()?;
@@ -387,8 +399,19 @@ fn spawn_pump(
     exited: Arc<AtomicBool>,
     sessions: Sessions,
     sink: SharedSink,
+    started: Instant,
 ) -> std::io::Result<()> {
     std::thread::Builder::new().name(format!("openidea-term-pump-{}", id.0)).spawn(move || {
+        let first_output = std::cell::Cell::new(true);
+        let on_output = move |text: String| {
+            if first_output.replace(false) {
+                // ConPTY asks for the cursor position (`ESC[6n`) and waits for the answer.
+                let cursor_query = text.contains("\x1b[6n");
+                let ms = started.elapsed().as_millis();
+                tracing::info!(%id, ms, bytes = text.len(), cursor_query, "terminal first output");
+            }
+            on_output(text)
+        };
         let mut decoder = Utf8Decoder::new();
         let mut pending = String::new();
         let mut batch_started: Option<Instant> = None;